Well, we’ve made it to February, and as expected, the groundhog saw his shadow and is predicting another 6 weeks of winter. Not a bad gig for a Giant Schnauzer; now if the DEEP FREEZE and WIND CHILL would go away, we’d get to have some fun!

8 week old Giant Schnauzer pups in the snow.

The pups turned 8 weeks old yesterday and have had their first vaccinations, complete check up, and microchips implanted. Lunatik left the nest yesterday, and in the coming weeks, Liebe and Lego will fly home, and Linus will be picked up. Loki and a few more will hang out until March, and we are still in the selection process for the specifics of who is going where.

As we’ve stated in previous posts, we do NOT rush our puppies out the door. We keep them, train them, socialize them, build their ball drive, and expose them to prey bite work, obstacle training, and daily adventures in the woods. By the time the puppies are 12 weeks old, their price does increase a little bit to reflect the additional vet care and training they receive.

We had pups from the K-litter right up until August of 2018 (not including Bermuda Blue!) and we are just as committed to providing the perfect homes for the L-litter, no matter how long it takes.

Over the coming weeks we will post individual profiles of the puppies still waiting for their forever homes. We do receive potential puppy owner questionnaires on a daily basis, and we do reply to all of them. If you are interested in being considered for a pup, please send us a completed questionnaire.

Fresh out of the bath, Lunatik von der Leidenschaft, aka Red Girl, prepares to go home with her new mom.

After cursing a few different collage makers today, I turned to Facebook and lo and behold, my friend has a sister in graphic arts! So I quickly ran through a bazillion dog photos (yes, that’s fairly accurate!) and sent off my favourite eleven.

Thanks so much to Sonya DeCesaris for putting together, in a matter of minutes, that which I failed to produce in hours.

The original banner was created to honour our beloved Degen von der Leidenschaft VPG3.

He was an amazing ambassador of the breed, and produced puppies with strong nerve, stable temperament, and incredible drives. He and his mate Ghira vom Klingsgarten IPO3 are featured in the centre of the new banner with paw prints around them.

With our kennel going “Natural” i.e. no longer docking/cropping/dewclaws we felt the need to update the banner to reflect our new look and our new imports.

The top row left to right features our 3 y/o German import Rogue vom Klingsgarten BH with her newborn litter, exactly below her photo is our Hugo von der Leidenschaft aka PSD Tyr, recently retired from Saskatoon Police Department. Peeking around the post of the steps is our first German import of 2018, Zia vom Lindelbrunn. Diving in to the water is our 9 y/o Glock von der Leidenschaft IPO3 as a 2 year old. Next is Ron with Glock at a training seminar in 2016. Finally in the top row is our newest German import, Zeus vom Goldbergsee.

In the bottom row is Ron doing puppy prey drive with Zia. The inset with the paw prints is Degen and Ghira. Next is our Jade von der Leidenschaft IPO1 with her nose deep in to tracking. Finally our Rogue doing a victory lap with the sleeve.

Our kennel name is the German word for Passion. We breed these dogs because they ARE our passion, and we breed them to HAVE passion. We do our very best to produce healthy offspring with strong drives, stable nerve, correct conformation, and amazing temperament suitable for every walk of life.

Currently the L-litter is 6 weeks old and in the coming week we will begin the selection process for the homes we have already approved. We are still accepting applications for some puppies. We are fussy. We will keep them before selling them to just anyone. And don’t consider yourself ruled out if you “just want a pet.” We like pets too.

If you’d like to be considered for a L-litter puppy, please do complete our questionnaire. We’d like to get to know you so we can choose the best possible mate for you.

I guess there’s something to be said for storm days… you get a website update! 😉

If you’d like Sonya to do some graphic arts work for you, you can find her on Instagram @sonyadecesaris

It’s been a busy start to 2019 with 13 precious babes to care for. Mom and the L-litter kids are doing amazing! Pups have been moved to a larger area with more room to play and grow. The weaning process is well under way with Rogue giving comfort suckles a few times per day.

Personalities are beginning to emerge and each day reveals a new marvel. This evening I was enjoying (?) a vigorous bare arm bite with strong prey shake by the smallest pup in the litter! I never get tired of watching these amazing little creatures show their amazing bloodlines.

We do still have a few pups available to approved homes. They are ready after February 2, 2019. As always, our puppies remain with us, train and socialize with us, until the best home is secured for each and every puppy. We do not rush our babies out the door.

Inquiries can be made via our Facebook pageor email: ourpassion@leidenschaftkennels.ca

EXCELLENT NEWS FOR US AND OUR USA BUYERS!!!
In a nutshell, we are no longer required to give rabies vaccinations at 12 weeks and then wait another 30 days to ship. THAT SAID: the airlines still have to come around for shipping cargo at 8 weeks, (which may be slow to happen) and you still need to check with your state regulations. Please see HERE AND click on the link to the CDC for full details.

We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our L-litter, 8 boys and 5 girls! Born throughout the day on Saturday, December 8, 2018.
Dam – Rogue vom Klingsgarten BH
Sire – Glock von der Leidenschaft IPO3

Much thanks to our friends Alyssa Lanyi and Suzie Ann Gibbons for their help throughout the day.

Details of the litter are available at Working Dog! We will be reviewing applications again this coming week now that we know what we have available. We do not accept deposits until the litter is one week old.

How has it been more than a month since my last update?!? Wow the time has flown by this year.
We might, but I doubt it, have 10 more sleeps in us before the L-litter arrives, due December 7th! Rogue is doing fantastic and as of last Friday (week 7 weigh day) has gained 16.5 pounds! She is completely on track with last year.

7.5 weeks pregnant! :)

This year is a little busier, with Zia and Zeus still requiring a lot of attention to become model citizens in the house and out. Having the new back steps built from the upper deck to the lower has been a huge help, meaning we don’t have to juggle dogs to get the puppies in and out. This means less stress on Momma-to-be.
We have a growing list of serious contenders for puppies, but we still welcome your questionnaire if you’re interested in being considered for the L-litter.

In other news, our beautiful Bermuda Blue finally left the nest and arrived at her new home on November 16th. She is already adored by her humans and 4 year old Sambuca (Sammy).

Sambuca and Kahlua (theme much?) 😉 aka Blue at home in Bermuda.

If you’re tired of waiting for updates here, you can usually find something new posted each day on Facebook, Instagram @leidenschaftkennels, and Twitter! Come on over and join us!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving to all of our family and friends. On this gorgeous day I am so thankful for our beautiful land, and these amazing dogs who share it with us.

Ron with “Blue”, Zia, and Zeus.

We are also excited to announce that we have mated Glock and Rogue this weekend for what we hope will be a successful L-litter due on December 7, 2018. This is a repeat of our last litter, and there is already so much interest in this litter we are worried we won’t have enough puppies to go around! If the timing is right for you for a February arrival, please do complete our puppy questionnaire, or if you already have, please state your continued interest.

A day late and several dollars short… our new (and last for awhile!) baby Zeus vom Goldbergsee arrived at our home in Canada from Germany on August 31, 2018. It’s been a busy few days getting him on Atlantic time and establishing his place in the pack.

It’s been an exciting weekend in Germany as the Deutsche Meisterschaft for Riesenschnauzers was held on September 1 & 2. The winner was Zeus’ daddy Xaro von der Schonburg! In third place was Zia’s aunt, Kara-Mia vom Lindelbrunn!

Also in family success, Rogue’s uncle Nelson vom Klingsgarten won the FH competition (highest degree in Tracking!) in Germany.

Happy to report our Glock von der Leidenschaft, Jade von der Leidenschaft, and our German import Rogue vom Klingsgarten, have all been cleared of Dilated Cardiomyopathy via DNA testing. Results should be available soon on each dog’s listing at The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

Our newest baby, Zia vom Lindelbrunn will be tested once her registration papers arrive from Germany.